JP7296193B2 - Cap defect inspection device and cap defect inspection method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cap defect inspection device and a cap defect inspection method.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, various inspection apparatuses and inspection methods have been proposed to inspect defects in caps attached to containers filled with liquid such as beverages.

For example, in Patent Document 1, an inspection star wheel for supporting a plurality of container caps in a plurality of pockets provided on the outer peripheral portion and conveying them on a predetermined circular track, and on the circular track of the inspection star wheel a first inspection station disposed along the inspection starwheel for imaging, with illumination and cameras, the container caps carried by the inspection starwheel; a vacuum conveyor that sucks and conveys it on a straight path; and a second inspection station that is arranged along the straight path of the vacuum conveyor and captures an image of the container cap conveyed by the vacuum conveyor with an illumination and a camera. An inspection device for a container cap is described.

JP 2012-78120 A

The technique according to Patent Document 1 uses a plurality of cameras and lighting to inspect defects such as contamination and deformation of the cap.
However, with regard to defects of the cap, there are other defects that should be noted other than defects such as dirt and deformation, which are covered by the technique of Patent Document 1.

Currently, pilfer proof caps (hereinafter referred to as "PP caps" as appropriate) are widely used as caps for proving the safety of liquids in containers. Specifically, the PP cap is a cap comprising a cap body attached to the mouth of the container and an annular band connected to the lower end of the skirt of the cap body. If the cap is connected without being removed, it proves that the cap has not been removed, and a certain level of safety is ensured for the liquid in the container.

Here, after the PP cap is attached to the container filled with the liquid, there is a possibility that the cap main body and the band portion may break for some reason, such as damage during transportation.
If a product equipped with such a defective PP cap (a PP cap in which the cap body and the band part are broken) is distributed in the market, it will cause a problem even though it is a product with no problem. This will give consumers the impression that there is.
Therefore, the inventors of the present invention considered that it is necessary to accurately detect such defects in the cap and to ensure a perfect inspection system.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a cap defect inspection apparatus and a cap defect inspection method capable of accurately detecting defects in a pilfer-proof cap (fracture between a cap body and a band portion).

The above problems can be solved by the following means.
(1) A pilfer-proof cap comprising a cap body to be attached to the mouth of a container and an annular band connected to an end of a skirt of the cap body, wherein the cap body and the band are A cap defect inspection device for inspecting for breakage of the cap body and the band portion, comprising laser light irradiation means for irradiating a laser light to a boundary portion on the surface of the cap body and the band portion, and the pilfer proof cap through the a light-receiving means provided at a position facing the laser light irradiation means for receiving the laser light emitted from the laser light irradiation means; determination means for determining presence/absence, wherein the location irradiated with the laser beam by the laser beam irradiation means includes all of the boundary portion, and the determination means determines the amount of received light for the irradiated location, which is the result of light received by the light receiving means. A cap defect inspection device that determines that there is no breakage when is less than a reference value, and determines that there is breakage when the value is greater than or equal to the reference value.
(2) At least a portion of the container covered with the pilfer-proof cap is made of a material that transmits laser light, and at least the skirt portion and the band portion of the pilfer-proof cap transmit laser light. 2. The cap defect inspection device according to 1 above, which is made of a material that does not transmit light.
(3) A pilfer-proof cap comprising a cap body attached to the mouth of a container and an annular band connected to the end of the skirt of the cap body, wherein the cap body and the band A cap defect inspection method for inspecting for breakage of the cap body, the irradiation step of irradiating a boundary portion on the surface of the cap body and the band portion with a laser beam by a laser beam irradiation means, and the pilfer proof cap a light receiving step of receiving the laser light emitted from the laser light irradiating means by a light receiving means provided at a position facing the laser light irradiating means via a light receiving step; and a determination step of determining whether or not there is a break with the band portion, wherein the portion irradiated with the laser light by the laser light irradiation means includes all of the boundary portion, and in the determination step, the light reception result of the light reception step is used. A cap defect inspection method for judging that there is no breakage when the amount of received light for a given irradiation point is less than a reference value, and that there is breakage when the amount is greater than or equal to the reference value.

According to the cap defect inspection device according to the present invention, it is possible to accurately detect a defect of a pilfer proof cap (fracture between the cap main body and the band portion). As a result, according to the cap defect inspection apparatus according to the present invention, it is possible to reliably prevent distribution of containers fitted with such defective pilfer proof caps to the market.

According to the cap defect inspection method according to the present invention, it is possible to accurately detect a defect in a pilfer-proof cap (fracture between the cap main body and the band portion). As a result, according to the method for inspecting defective caps according to the present invention, it is possible to reliably prevent distribution of containers fitted with such defective pilfer proof caps to the market.

It is a schematic diagram of the cap defect inspection apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. FIG. 4 is an enlarged schematic diagram of the pilfer-proof cap irradiated with laser light, and is an enlarged schematic diagram when there is no breakage at the boundary between the cap main body and the band portion. FIG. 4 is an enlarged schematic diagram of the pilfer-proof cap irradiated with a laser beam, and is an enlarged schematic diagram in the case where the boundary portion between the cap body and the band portion is uniformly broken. FIG. 4 is an enlarged schematic diagram of the pilfer-proof cap irradiated with a laser beam, and an enlarged schematic diagram in which a portion of the boundary portion between the cap main body and the band portion is broken. FIG. 4 is an enlarged schematic diagram of the pilfer proof cap in a state where laser light is irradiated, and is an enlarged schematic diagram when there is a fracture at the boundary portion on the back side of the drawing.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment for carrying out a cap defect inspection device and a cap defect inspection method according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
First, with reference to FIG. 2A, the pilfer-proof cap and the container to be inspected by the cap defect inspection apparatus and the cap defect inspection method according to the present embodiment will be described.

[Pilfer proof cap (PP cap)]
The PP cap 10 is a tamper-proof cap that allows easy visual confirmation of whether or not the cap has been opened. and an annular band portion 12 connected to the .
In the PP cap 10, when the cap main body 11 is turned counterclockwise, a plurality of bridges (not shown) connecting the cap main body 11 and the band portion 12 are broken, and the cap main body 11 and the band portion 12 are broken. becomes. Therefore, when breakage can be confirmed between the cap main body 11 and the band portion 12, it can be determined that the cap has been opened.

Specifically, the PP cap 10 includes a disc-shaped top surface 11a covering the mouth of the container 20 and a skirt portion 11b extending vertically (vertically downward in FIG. 2A) from the end of the top surface 11a. , a band portion 12 connected to an end portion of the skirt portion 11 b , and a plurality of bridges (not shown) connecting the skirt portion 11 b and the band portion 12 . Since this bridge exists inside the skirt portion 11b and the band portion 12, it is not shown.
The material of the PP cap 10 is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include plastics and metals, but a material that does not transmit laser light is preferable.

[container]
The container 20 is a structure that includes a container body that holds a liquid such as a beverage inside, and a mouth that serves as a liquid spout provided on the top of the container body. By being attached to the part, the liquid inside can be sealed.
The shape of the container 20 is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include a bottomed cylindrical shape as a whole, and the capacity is also not particularly limited. 5L, 1.8L, 2.0L, 2.7L, 4.0L and the like.
Also, the material of the container 20 is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include plastic, glass, and paper. preferable.

Next, a cap defect inspection apparatus according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
[Cap defect inspection device]
A cap defect inspection apparatus D according to this embodiment is an apparatus for inspecting breakage between the cap body 11 and the band portion 12 of the PP cap 10 .
The cap defect inspection device D includes a laser beam irradiation unit 1, a light receiving unit 2, and a determination unit 3, and may further include a determination result output unit and the like.

(Laser beam irradiation means)
The laser beam irradiation means 1 is a device for irradiating a boundary portion B between the cap body 11 and the band portion 12 with a laser beam. As the laser light irradiation means 1, a known laser oscillator (for example, a visible light semiconductor laser or the like) that amplifies and emits light may be used.
The laser light emitted from the laser light irradiation means 1 has high straightness and convergence unlike ordinary light (lamp light, etc.). can do. The laser beam is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a laser beam having a wavelength of 600 to 700 nm (preferably 650 to 670 nm), which is visible and easy to set.

The laser beam irradiation means 1 is installed on the side of the transport path R along which the container 20 is transported, and has a height substantially horizontal with respect to the boundary portion B of the PP cap 10 on the transport path R, that is, the PP cap 10 is provided on a substantially horizontal plane formed by the lower end (boundary portion B) of the skirt portion 11b. Then, the point T irradiated with the laser light by the laser light irradiation means 1 includes the boundary portion B on the side of the laser light irradiation means 1 .
The irradiation point T irradiated with the laser light only needs to cover the substantially half-circumference boundary portion B on the side of the laser light irradiation means 1 (and the area including the fractured portion if the boundary portion B is broken). For example, the thickness (length in the vertical direction) of the irradiated portion T may be 1.0 to 3.0 mm (preferably 1.7 to 2.3 mm).

The laser beam from the laser beam irradiation means 1 may be always irradiated, but considering the transport speed of the container 20, the distance between the front and back of the container 20, etc., the boundary portion B of the container 20 is in front of the laser beam irradiation means 1. The timing of irradiation may be controlled by control means (not shown) so that irradiation is performed at the timing of crossing.

(Light receiving means)
The light receiving means 2 is a device for receiving the laser light emitted from the laser light irradiation means 1 . As the light receiving means 2, a known light receiving device capable of receiving laser light may be used.

The light receiving means 2 is installed on the side of the transport path R along which the container 20 is transported, and is positioned to face the laser beam irradiation means 1 via the container 20 (boundary portion B of the PP cap 10). It is provided at a position where it can receive the laser beam emitted from the laser beam irradiation means 1 .
The light receiving means 2 is provided at the same height as the height of the boundary portion B of the PP cap 10, that is, the height of the laser beam irradiation means 1 and the height of the boundary portion B.

The laser light emitted from the laser light irradiation means 1 and transmitted through the container 20 may be slightly refracted in the container 20 . In this case, considering the refractive index and thickness of the laser beam of the container 20, the distance between the laser beam irradiation means 1 and the light receiving means 2, and the like, the position of the laser beam irradiation means 1 or the light receiving means 2 in the vertical direction is appropriately determined. It is preferable to adjust so that the laser light is properly received by the light receiving means 2 by slightly shifting upward or downward from the position where both are horizontal.
Also, the location where the laser beam irradiation means 1 and the light receiving means 2 are provided is not particularly limited as long as it is near the transport path R (both sides) where the liquid is injected into the container 20 and is transported after being sealed by the PP cap 10. However, for example, when the container 20 is washed with water after being sealed, it is preferable to provide it upstream from the washing place. By providing the laser beam irradiation means 1 and the light receiving means 2 in such a place, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the laser beam cannot be properly received due to water droplets attached to the container 20 .

(Determination means)
The judging means 3 is means for judging whether or not the cap main body 11 and the band portion 12 are broken based on the light receiving result of the light receiving means 2 .
Specifically, the determination unit 3 reads out the data (presence or absence of light reception, amount of light reception) acquired by the light reception unit 2 . Then, the judging means 3 judges whether or not there is a defective cap based on the data or based on the data and a preset reference read out from the storage means (not shown).
The determination method by the determination means 3 will be described in detail later.

(Judgment result output means)
The determination result output means (not shown) is means for outputting the determination result input from the determination means 3 to the outside. This determination result output means is, for example, an alarm device that emits sound or light when a determination result that there is a break between the cap body 11 and the band portion 12 is input from the determination means 3, or a container 20 with a break. Output the results to a device that can be excluded from the production line, a monitor that can display all the results, etc.

The determination means 3, the control means, and the determination result output means are realized by program execution processing by a CPU (Central Processing Unit), dedicated circuits, and the like.
Further, the storage means can be composed of general storage devices such as RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), HDD (Hard Disk Drive), and flash memory.

Next, a cap defect inspection method according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. The operation of the cap defect inspection apparatus according to the present embodiment will also be described.
[Cap defect inspection method (cap defect inspection device operation)]
The cap defect inspection method according to the present embodiment includes an irradiation process, a light receiving process, and a determination process.
Each step of the container inspection method according to the present embodiment will be described below.

(Irradiation process)
The irradiation step is a step of irradiating a boundary portion B between the cap body 11 attached to the container 20 and the band portion 12 with a laser beam by the laser beam irradiation means 1 .
As described above, the laser beam may be always irradiated, or the laser beam may be irradiated at the timing when the boundary portion B of the container 20 crosses in front of the laser beam irradiation means 1 .

(Light receiving process)
The light receiving step is a step of receiving the laser beam emitted from the laser beam irradiation means 1 by the light receiving means 2 provided at a position facing the laser beam irradiation means 1 with the container 20 interposed therebetween.
When the laser beam is always irradiated, the light is always received. On the other hand, when the laser beam is irradiated at the timing when the boundary portion B of the container 20 crosses in front of the laser beam irradiation means 1, the timing is the same. The light is also received substantially at the same time (that is, the irradiation step and the light receiving step are performed substantially simultaneously).

(Determination process)
The determining step is a step of determining whether or not there is a breakage between the cap main body 11 and the band portion 12 based on the light receiving result of the light receiving step.
Specifically, in the determination step, first, the determination means 3 reads light reception data (presence or absence of light reception, amount of light received) acquired by the light reception means 2 . Then, the determination means 3 determines whether or not the cap main body 11 and the band portion 12 are broken based on the received light data (and the preset reference read out from the storage means).
If the laser beam is constantly being irradiated, only the received light data at the timing when the boundary portion B of the container 20 crosses in front of the laser beam irradiation means 1 is selected from all the received light data acquired by the light receiving means 2. is read out.

(Determination method in the determination step)
A specific determination method in the determination step will be described.
As shown in FIG. 2A, when there is no break in the boundary portion B of the PP cap 10, the laser beam irradiated from the laser beam irradiation means 1 to the irradiation point T is applied to the PP cap 10 (the lower portion of the skirt portion 11b and the band portion). 12). Therefore, the light receiving means 2 does not receive the laser light irradiated to the PP cap 10 in the state of FIG. Then, the judging means 3 reads the received light data indicating "no received light" from the light receiving means 2, and judges that the PP cap 10 in FIG. 2A is "not broken" because it is "not received".

2B to 2D, when there is a break in the boundary portion B of the PP cap 10, most of the laser light irradiated from the laser light irradiation means 1 to the irradiation point T is blocked by the PP cap 10, A portion of the laser light passes through the broken boundary portion B (specifically, the hatched portion in the drawing), passes through the container 20, and passes through to the light receiving means 2 side. Therefore, the light-receiving means 2 receives the laser light irradiated to the PP cap 10 in the state of FIGS. 2B to 2D, and the light-receiving result is "received". Then, the judging means 3 reads the light reception data indicating "light reception" from the light reception means 2, and judges that the PP cap 10 in FIGS.
2B shows a case where the cap body 11, the band part 12 and the boundary part B are uniformly broken, and FIG. 2C shows a case where a part (right side of the drawing) is broken. , the laser beam passes through these broken portions. FIG. 2D shows a case where the boundary portion B on the side of the light receiving means 2 (back side of the drawing) is broken. Since gaps can be seen on the sides (ends on both sides of the drawing), the laser light passes through these gaps.

(Process after judgment process)
If the determination result obtained in the determination step indicates that the boundary portion B of the PP cap 10 is broken, a predetermined instruction is sent from the determination result output means to an external device, and, for example, the broken PP cap is attached. A device that removes the broken container from the line is activated, and an alarm device that notifies by emitting sound or light that a broken PP cap has been detected is activated.
In addition, in the determination process, it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which all results are displayed on the monitor regardless of which determination result is obtained.

Next, effects of the cap defect inspection apparatus and cap defect inspection method according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
[Effects of cap defect inspection device and cap defect inspection method according to the present embodiment]
According to the cap defect inspection apparatus D and the cap defect inspection method according to the present embodiment, the presence or absence of breakage is determined by irradiating the boundary portion B of the PP cap 10 with a laser beam. defects (breakage between the cap body and the band portion) can be detected with high accuracy.

When using an imaging device (camera) as in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to capture images from the entire periphery of the cap in order to confirm cap defects. A large number (for example, four) of imaging devices are required.
On the other hand, according to the cap defect inspection apparatus D and the cap defect inspection method according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. can also be detected, one set of the laser beam irradiation means 1 and the light receiving means 2 is sufficient. Also, the laser beam irradiation means 1 and the light receiving means 2 are usually smaller than the imaging device.
As a result, according to the cap defect inspection apparatus D and the cap defect inspection method according to the present embodiment, one set of the laser light irradiation means 1 and the light receiving means 2 requires almost no space, so that the inspection can be performed in a small space. Even if there is, it is possible to deal with it.
In addition, since the laser beam irradiation means 1 and the light receiving means 2 are generally very inexpensive compared to the imaging device, the cap defect inspection device D and the cap defect inspection method according to the present embodiment can be used for inspection. It is also possible to significantly reduce costs.

In addition, the detection results obtained by the imaging device of Patent Document 1 are greatly affected by the surrounding environment (brightness, poor visibility due to floating water droplets, etc.). Therefore, according to the cap defect inspection device D and the cap defect inspection method according to the present embodiment, cap defects can be detected with high accuracy even if the surrounding environment is somewhat bad.

Further, the cap defect inspection device D according to the present embodiment and the laser light irradiation means 1 and the light receiving means 2 used in the cap defect inspection method are simple mechanisms compared to an imaging device. In this case, it is relatively easy to investigate the cause of the problem.

Currently, there are PP caps 10 and containers 20 of various colors in order to attract consumers' attention. It is possible to correspond regardless of the color of 10 or the container 20 . For example, when the target is a black container 20 (material that transmits laser light) to which a black PP cap 10 (material that does not transmit laser light) is mounted, an imaging apparatus such as that disclosed in Patent Document 1 detects a defective cap. Accurate detection is impossible, but the cap defect inspection device D and the cap defect inspection method according to the present embodiment make determinations based on the presence or absence of transmission of the laser beam, so they can be dealt with without problems. is possible.

As can be seen by comparing FIG. 2A with FIGS. 2B to 2D, when the space between the cap body 11 and the band portion 12 is broken, even if the container 20 (mouth portion) is made of a material that does not transmit light, However, the laser beam is transmitted at least at the end of the boundary portion B (at least one of the left and right side ends in the drawing). Therefore, according to the cap defect inspection device D and the cap defect inspection method according to the present embodiment, cap defects can be detected even if the container 20 (mouth portion) is made of a material that does not transmit light. is possible.

Next, a modified example of the cap defect inspection apparatus and the cap defect inspection method according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
[Modified Example of Cap Defect Inspection Apparatus and Cap Defect Inspection Method According to Present Embodiment]
In the determination means 3, when the light reception result read from the light receiving means 2 is "no light reception", it is determined as "no breakage", and when "light reception is present", it is determined as "breakage". , a reference value may be used for determination.
Specifically, in the determination means 3, using the "reference value" read from the storage means (not shown), the case where the amount of light received from the light receiving means 2 is "less than the reference value" is defined as "no breakage". A configuration may be adopted in which it is determined that "there is a breakage" if the value is "a reference value or more".

As shown in FIGS. 2A to 2D, a plurality of bridges connecting the cap body 11 and the band portion 12 are present inside, and if there is no break in the boundary portion B, there is no gap at the boundary portion B. The target is a PP cap 10. However, due to a configuration in which a plurality of bridges are continuously arranged in the vertical direction between the cap body 11 and the band portion 12, even if there is no breakage in the boundary portion B, the boundary portion B is fixed. PP caps with gaps of .
In this case, as described above, when the amount of received light read from the light receiving means 2 is "less than the reference value", the judgment means 3 judges "no breakage", and when it is "more than the reference value", it judges "breakage exists". ” can be applied.

As shown in FIG. 1, the configuration for inspecting the PP cap 10 attached to the container 20 by irradiating it with a laser beam has been described, but the following configuration may also be used.
For example, when the container is a back-in box or a paper pack with a cap, generally, a cap member (more specifically, a member including a PP cap and an opening to which the PP cap is screwed) and a container body is manufactured as a separate body, the cap member is attached to the container body. In this case, the inspection of the present invention may be performed on the cap member before being attached to the container body. .

As shown in FIGS. 2A to 2D, the case where the shape of the irradiation point T by the laser beam is rectangular has been described, but the boundary part B (and the area including the broken part when the boundary part B is broken) is covered. The shape of the irradiated portion T is not particularly limited as long as it is irradiated in the above manner.
In addition, as shown in FIGS. 2A to 2D, when breakage occurs at the boundary portion B, the breakage occurs at least at the end of the boundary portion B (at least one of the left and right side ends in the drawing). A configuration in which only the end portion is irradiated with the laser light may be employed.

The present embodiment is described in detail for easy understanding of the present invention, and is not necessarily limited to those having all the described configurations. Moreover, it is possible to add, delete, or replace a part of the configuration of this embodiment with another configuration.
Further, the mechanisms and configurations described above show those considered necessary for explanation, and do not necessarily show all the mechanisms and configurations on the product.

1 laser beam irradiation means 2 light receiving means 3 determination means 10 pilfer proof cap (PP cap)
REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 11 cap main body 11a top surface portion 11b skirt portion 12 band portion 20 container B boundary portion T irradiation point D cap defect inspection device R transport path

Claims (3)

Regarding a pilfer-proof cap comprising a cap body attached to the mouth of a container and an annular band connected to the end of the skirt of the cap body, breaking of the cap body and the band A cap defect inspection device for inspecting the
laser beam irradiation means for irradiating a boundary portion of the surface between the cap main body and the band portion with a laser beam;
a light-receiving means provided at a position facing the laser beam irradiation means via the pilfer-proof cap for receiving the laser beam irradiated from the laser beam irradiation means;
determination means for determining whether or not the cap main body and the band portion are broken based on the light receiving result of the light receiving means;
with
The portion irradiated with the laser beam by the laser beam irradiation means includes all of the boundary portion,
The cap defect inspection device determines that there is no breakage when the amount of light received by the light receiving means is less than a reference value, and determines that there is breakage when the amount is equal to or greater than the reference value. At least a portion of the container covered with the pilfer-proof cap is made of a material that transmits laser light,
2. The cap defect inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least the skirt portion and the band portion of the pilfer proof cap are made of a material that does not transmit laser light. Regarding a pilfer-proof cap comprising a cap body attached to the mouth of a container and an annular band connected to the end of the skirt of the cap body, breaking of the cap body and the band A cap defect inspection method for inspecting
an irradiation step of irradiating a boundary portion on the surface of the cap main body and the band portion with a laser beam by a laser beam irradiation means;
a light receiving step of receiving a laser beam emitted from the laser beam irradiation means by a light receiving means provided at a position facing the laser beam irradiation means through the pilfer proof cap;
a determination step of determining whether or not the cap main body and the band portion are broken based on the light receiving result of the light receiving step;
including
The portion irradiated with the laser beam by the laser beam irradiation means includes all of the boundary portion,
In the determination step, the cap defect inspection method determines that there is no breakage when the amount of light received at the irradiated portion, which is the light reception result of the light reception step, is less than a reference value, and determines that there is breakage when the amount is greater than or equal to the reference value.

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